A difficult obstacle associated with the exploration and production of oil and gas is management of significant ocean currents. These currents can produce vortex-induced vibration (VIV) and/or large deflections of tubulars associated with drilling and production. VIV can cause substantial fatigue damage to the tubular or cause suspension of drilling due to increased deflections. Both helical strakes and fairings can provide sufficient VIV suppression.
Fairings are typically free to weathervane (rotate) about the longitudinal axis of the tubular, and are supported by collars to keep them from sliding along the tubular axis more than desired. Often, collars are used at each end of the fairing to maintain the desired axial position.
A problem associated with fairings is that, when used on drilling risers or other risers for which installation costs are quite high, the time to install them can be expensive.
Another problem associated with fairings is that the cost of fasteners can be quite substantial, especially when metallic fasteners (that must survive long periods of time in seawater) are required.
Another problem, for tubulars with one or more adjacent lines near their surface, is that the fairing body must completely encircle the tubular in order to achieve maximum VIV suppression effectiveness.
Another problem with fairings is that they must have sufficient friction against their rotation to insure that they work most effectively.
Another problem with fairings is that they can take up very large amounts of storage space prior to installation (or after installation if they are retrieved such as for a drilling riser).